Date

4-29-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

Tyler Sheppard

Keywords

pornography, Christian women, Qualitative, phenomenological, lived experiences

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences | Social Work

Abstract

This transcendental phenomenological study explored the emotional responses Christian women experience upon discovering their spouse’s pornography use and how they perceive their spouse’s openness during and after disclosure. Guided by Husserl’s descriptive philosophy, the study used confidential Zoom interviews and a focus group with Christian women aged 18 and older to gather first‑person accounts of the phenomenon. Through phenomenological reduction, repeated readings, and the refinement and synthesis of meaning units, six superordinate themes emerged: faith as an Interpretive lens; pornography as a violation of relational, emotional, and moral boundaries; discovery as an emotional and relational turning point; communication as a determining factor in relational outcomes; isolation, shame, and limited support systems; and healing, change, and divergent outcomes. These themes were significant because they demonstrated that women’s emotional experiences were shaped not only by the discovery itself but by the interplay of faith, relational dynamics, communication patterns, and social context. The findings offer a phenomenologically grounded understanding of how Christian women make sense of pornography‑related betrayal, highlighting the destabilizing impact of secrecy, the central role of faith in meaning‑making, and the importance of communication in shaping relational outcomes. This study contributes to the limited qualitative literature on pornography‑related distress and underscores the need for sensitive, non‑judgmental support within clinical, pastoral, and community settings.

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